Sexism: Vegans in Australia

I've spoken about sexism on many occasions, but there's something I've wanted to explore in more depth for a while now. I've even put my feelers out in the female vegan community to see if I was alone in experiencing this; sexism within the vegan community.

Now of course there's sexism present in the vast majority of men that women seem to come in contact with, whether it's mild like sexist jokes or major, like sexual harassment. However, when most of us think of vegans as compassionate, understanding beings who want equality (at least in regards to non-human animals) the same can't be said for all earthlings.

I dabble in a few Facebook groups myself and in one particular group whether it be due to the nature of the group or size of the group, there happens to be a lot of male on female bullying and sexism which most of the admins don't seem to be addressing. I became annoyed by this so I posted in this vegan group pointing out the obvious sexism. I was met with hostility, women agreeing with me, the 'nice guys', male feminists and a wide array of sexist insults by the sexist vegan men who decided to rear their ugly heads. 

One of the first comments on the thread was that I come across sexism because of the way I dress. He pointed out the fact that I'm wearing a bralette in my display picture (pictured below).

Don't mind my nail polish, it's the new trend OK?

If that didn't prove my point enough I don't know what will. Maybe the fact that my post was deleted as it broke one of the 'rules' of the group which was an anti-bullying rule. I think that was stretching it a little bit as the justification for that was that I myself was being sexist against men for pointing out the sexism publicly. 

Let's address the whole, 'females against males = sexism' thing. Just like racism, the oppressed group can't really be sexist against the superior group. Why? Well sexism like racism, works on the system of oppression. I can be prejudice against men or white people, but I can't be sexist or racist because the system of oppression works against that. Very simple, there are a lot of people who simply don't get it and refuse to accept that these two things work on the system of oppression but that mostly comes from a deep place of privilege.  

Which is another thing that seems to get under a white man's skin. The word privilege. Nothing drives a non feminist man crazier than telling him he has privilege. As if having privilege is a bad thing. As if not being oppressed is a bad thing. As if being a victim to the thing you're discussing is a good thing. GUYS! We all have privilege in one way or another, you just have substantially more than women. Just like white people have substantially more than POC. Just like westerners have substantially more than those in extreme poverty around the world. I now, speak from a place of great privilege, typing on my mac and drinking from a VOSS water bottle. So just chill with the hand on chest shock of your life when told you have privilege. 

After my post was deleted I watched as the fellow feminists in said group branched out and also questioned a) why it was deleted b) why the sexist men weren't removed for 'bullying' and c) why is every post we put up in the group regarding equality and the obvious misogyny in the group removed so quickly?

I watched as my fellow equality activists posted both in and out of the group regarding the situation and stood proud as the vegan women of Australia (women, non identifying, trans, everyone!) rejected the notice of silence by men of a movement that should already demand equality for all earthlings; that demands that morals be applied to all beings to smash the face of cognitive dissonance. 

Vegans already want female non-human animals have reproductive rights, rights to the offspring they produce as well as the right to their own bodily fluids. We already know stealing the sperm of a bull and inserting it into a cow with a rape rack is wrong, that's the foundation of woman's rights in regards to rape culture. Ethical vegans already have the foundation of feminism in their minds, so why some vegan men can't practice what they preach in regards to cognitive dissonance is beyond me.

I don't agree with it, but I understand the sexism in non-vegans. In regards to vegan men, you should be held at a higher standard than non-vegan men. Because you already have the knowledge of how females should be treated, equally, all you need to do is apply that to human females, not just non-human females. And if you don't respect woman, if you don't treat them as equal just because of their sex, then in my opinion, you can't call yourself a vegan. Being vegan is not just about not using animals, it's about respecting all earthlings as equals.

I am so thankful to be in so many female supporting groups, as odd as the idea of Facebook groups are, sometimes it's all you have. The squares and names of the vegan women, trans women and non identifying genders I share my private thoughts, my lowest moments, my articles and happiness with, you are all warriors. Never let casual sexism be downplayed, make it a big deal because no matter how little the oppression, the sexism, it is a big deal.